Gospel group proud of rich history

Gospel music lovers will be in for a treat when the awarding winning MTN Joyous Celebration perform tracks from their latest album, titled Joyous 21, at the Good Hope Christian Centre, near Ottery train station, on Friday June 2 and Saturday June 3.

The band made history when they recorded their album in the US with the Potter’s House of Dallas, Texas, under the leadership of the famous Bishop TD Jakes.

The theme of the album is Heal Our Land, aiming to inspire and motivate people to keep working hard despite the many hardships they may be wrestling with.

The album strives to bring restoration and hope to those hopeless souls who may already have given up in life, and revive their faith.

Member of Joyous Celebration, Sibusiso Mthembu, told Vukani they all feel privileged to be part of the group that has a rich history and has won numerous awards.

He said the album was different from the other albums, with a unique message and included a variety of songs inspired by everyday life experiences and personal challenges.

He said people need to be given assurance that regardless of the hardships they might be battling with, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, which this album hoped to reveal.

Talking about recording the album in the US, he said it was a different experience and that they had had to pull up their socks because they were effectively representing the country and its entire gospel fraternity.

He said he had been with the group for five years and felt this was one of the best albums they had released. He said they were a group of individuals who came from different backgrounds, which allowed the audience to interact and connect with them.

He described the group as a big family that supported and loved each other and said the dedication and passion they had made it fairly easy for them to work together.

“We are also growing in our own ministry and we are learning every day but, as part of the group, our intention is to bring hope to the people of South Africa.

“We are calling Cape Town people to come to the concert because we cannot wait to deliver the new songs to them. We want people to feel the presence of the almighty and see life through a different lens,” he said.

Another group member, Nomthi Sishi, said they could not wait to deliver this final product and –more than anything else – inspire people to keep on chasing their dreams.

She said what sets them apart from the other groups was that they sang in different vernacular languages, making the messages in their music accessible to a wide variety of people.

“It takes dedication and discipline to learn and master singing in different languages and we enjoy it because gospel music has one message. Some of us are working and studying so we do this because we are passionate about it.